It is finally here.
The day boxing fans have been waiting for.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will finally step inside a boxing ring and throw hands over 12 rounds Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Whether the fight should have happened five years ago or not, fans should be satisfied that the biggest fight of this generation is finally taking place.
Mayweather will attempt to improve his record to 48-0, while Pacquiao could realistically be the fighter to give the flamboyant fighter his first loss as a pro.
The fight will likely shatter multiple records associated with boxing, from live gate revenues, closed circuit sales and pay-per-view sales.
Mayweather and Pacquiao will also earn record purses for 36 minutes worth of work on fight night. Mayweather will earn at least $120 million, but that number could go up to $180 million based on pay-per-view sales, international TV rights and other intangibles. Mayweather promotes himself, while Pacquiao, slated to earn at least $80 million, is promoted by Top Rank.
While the fight has garnered a lot of buzz, news outside of the ring the last couple of weeks has also drawn a lot of attention.
Tickets ? all 500 of them ? were released to the public late last week, causing some fans to cancel travel arrangements to Las Vegas.
An ?Outside the Lines? segment on ESPN on Sunday highlighting Mayweather?s past arrests and convictions for domestic violence has been the subject of water-cooler talk and on boxing blogs.
But fight fans cannot wait for the Mayweather-Pacquiao clash, eager to spend $99.99 to order the fight on pay-per-view or throw down $150 for a closed-circuit ticket at one of the numerous properties in Las Vegas.
Will boxing fans be rewarded and get a thrilling back-and-forth action bout?
Mayweather will look to counter Pacquiao, who is usually the aggressor in most bouts. Look for Pacquiao to move around the ring in an attempt to move in and out of Mayweather?s reach, throwing combinations to the head. Mayweather will attempt to time the southpaw Pacquiao with straight right hands.
LOMACHENKO ON CARD
Opening the three-bout pay-per-view telecast at 6 p.m. will be Vasyl Lomachenko defending his WBO world featherweight title against Gamaliel Rodriguez.
The Ukraine-born Lomachenko trained for the Rodriguez fight in Oxnard at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy. Robert Garcia opened his gym to Lomachenko and his team, where he was also able to spar against local fighters.
Lomachenko (3-1, 1 KO) lost only once in 398 amateur fights, won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, and won a world title in only his third pro fight.
?I?ve seen video of Rodriguez,? Lomachenko told The Star after a recent workout. ?I don?t think I?m going to win on May 2, I know I will .?
Rodriguez (25-2-3, 17 KOs) hails from Puerto Rico and is unbeaten in his last 18 bouts.
In a 10-round bout, Leo Santa Cruz (29-0-1, 17 KOs) of Boyle Heights is scheduled to fight Jose Cayetano (17-3, 8 KOs) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
FALCAO IN ACTION
Middleweight Yamaguchi Falcao (5-0 1 NC, 2 KOs) will fight Gerardo Ibarra (14-2, 8 KOs) on Friday night in an eight-round bout at Fantasy Springs Casino Resort in Indio.
The bout could air on Fox Sports 1 at 7 p.m., depending on how long the other bouts take.
Falcao, who won a bronze medal for Brazil in the 2012 London Games, trains at the Knuckleheads Gym in Ventura with Danny Garcia.
In the main event of the Golden Boy Promotions card, Carlos Molina (17-2-1, 7 KOs) will fight Mercito Gesta (28-1-1, 16 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight bout.
OTHER TV BOUTS
ESPN2 will present a special edition of ?Friday Night Fights? at 6 p.m. Headlining the Mayweather Promotions card will be a 10-round bout between Ishe Smith (26-7, 12 KOs) and Cecil McCalla (20-1, 7 KOs). The card will take place at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
TruTV has also thrown its hat into televising live boxing. The network will televise a Top Rank card Friday night from The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. In the main event, Ray Beltran (29-7-1, 17 KOs) will fight Takahiro Ao (27-3-1, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBO world lightweight title.
